Eugene Robinson: Obama, winning the argument

Obama, winning the argument

By Eugene Robinson

In his bid to be remembered as a transformational leader, President Obama is...gradually winning the argument about what government can and should do. His State of the Union address was an announcement of that fact ó and a warning to conservatives that, to remain relevant, they will have to move beyond the premise that government is always the problem and never the solution...Repairing the nationís infrastructure is not a partisan issue; bridges rust at the same rate in Republican-held congressional districts as in Democratic ones. The benefits of universal preschool will accrue in red states as well as blue. Climate change is not deterred by the fact that a majority of the Republican caucus in the House doesnít believe in it.

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When Obama took office, the United States was in a similar funk. Ronald Reaganís conservative ideas had been corrupted by his followers into a kind of anti-government nihilism. Reagan wanted to shrink government; todayís Republican Party wants to destroy it.

Obama assumed leadership of a country in which inequality was growing and economic mobility declining, with the result that the American dream was becoming less attainable. It was a country whose primary and secondary schools lagged far behind international norms; whose airports, roads and bridges were showing their age; and, most important, whose path to continued prosperity, in the age of globalization and information technology, was not entirely clear.

Obamaís State of the Union speech was a detailed reiteration of his position that we can and must act to secure our future ó and that government can and must be one of our principal instruments.

7. Screwed up the country and

8. Posting this here:

HUD AND HHS PARTNER TO PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING AND SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

$98 million in rental assistance will prevent homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization

WASHINGTON Ė To prevent thousands of people with disabilities from experiencing homelessness or unnecessary institutionalization, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced nearly $98 million in funding for 13 state housing agencies for rental assistance to extremely low-income persons with disabilities, many of whom are transitioning out of institutional settings or are at high risk of homelessness.

HUDís support of these state agencies is made possible through the Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (PRA Demo) which enables persons with disabilities who earn less than 30 percent of median income to live in integrated mainstream settings. The state housing agencies are working closely with their state Medicaid and Health and Human Service counterparts to identify, refer, and conduct outreach to persons with disabilities who require long-term services and supports to live independently.

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The rental assistance announced today also supports the Obama Administrationís long term strategy to prevent and end homelessness. The Dedicating Opportunities to End Homelessness (DOEH) Initiative is a joint effort by HUD and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) designed to help communities match their homeless supports with other mainstream resources such as housing choice vouchers, public housing, private multifamily housing units, and other federally funded services. The initiative is beginning in 10 critically important communities: Atlanta, Chicago, Fresno County, Los Angeles County, Houston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix/Maricopa County, Seattle, and Tampa.

The following state agencies have been awarded rental subsidy through HUDís demonstration program:

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Authorized under the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2010, HUDís Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration Program provides funding to states for project-based rental assistance to develop permanent affordable housing options in integrated settings for extremely low-income persons with disabilities. Under the state health care/housing agency partnership, each state has in place a policy for referrals, tenant selection, and service delivery to ensure that this housing is targeted to those persons with disabilities most in need of affordable housing with supportive services.